The present invention relates generally to the field of dental apparatus and more particularly to a novel dental articulator which is capable of precise adjustment in order to duplicate physiological dysfunctions of the temporo-mandibular joint.
The prior art related to dental apparatus includes a wide variety of dental articulator devices, each of which generally simulates the relationship of the upper and lower human jaws to each other and to the bones of the skull. In reconstructive or diagnostic dentistry, the dentist takes an impression of the patient's mouth, including the teeth and jaws and a plaster model thereof is then made in the dental laboratory before and during treatment. At the laboratory, the plaster model is mounted on a dental articulator which simulates the position of the upper and lower jaws and other bone structures to the skull to enable the dentist or laboratory technician to make the necessary diagnosis or reconstruction.
Dental researchers have recently become involved in the diagnosis and treatment of what is known as temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction. It has been learned that the movement of the mandible, or lower jaw, is subject to dysfunctional problems which could cause a wide variety of physical problems including migraine headaches, back pain, nervous tension and even hypoglycemia. These dysfunctional problems have been studied by means of transcranial X-rays which have resulted in knowledge concerning the displacements of the temporo-mandibular joint and even more important, a method by which these displacements can be accurately measured.
Although the quantitative knowledge regarding these displacements is available, it has not been possible to transfer these displacements to any of the presently available dental articulators and it has therefore not been possible to achieve accurate correction of these problems.
It is accordingly a major objective of the present invention to provide a dental articulator which permits the physiological displacements of the temporo-mandibular joint to be duplicated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dental articulator which facilitates the accurate incorporation of temporo-mandibular joint displacement information into the dental articulator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dental articulator which permits individual condyles to be adjusted independently with each condyle adjustable independently in an antero-posterior direction and in an inferior-superior direction.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dental articulator which is capable of accurately maintaining temporo-mandibular joint displacements incorporated therein for an extended period of time to permit protracted corrective dental work.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dental articulator which can provide accurate information regarding premature tooth contact.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable dental articulator which is simple to operate and which comprises a relatively small number of simple parts which are economical of manufacture.